Open early
It perhaps goes without saying but if you're forced to close early then getting the doors open as soon as possible could be a great chance to make up that lost revenue. If you don't already have a brunch or breakfast option why not consider adding one to your menu.
Offer a happy hour
With a forced closure scheduled for long before many venues reach their peak occupancy, bringing that spike of business earlier in the evening is crucial. Perhaps consider introducing a happy hour between 8pm and 9pm to make sure you're making the most of that time of day.
Make the most of midweek
Closure at 10pm is of course most painful at the weekends, when your customers will be more likely to stay out late en masse. In order to make up for that lost business, find a way to bring in more during the week with themed days and special offers, Taco Tuesdays anyone?
Bottomless brunch
In recent years all you can eat and drink brunch and lunch services have become increasingly popular. Offering your customers the choice of unlimited food and beverages, or at least reduced price, for a set amount of time is a great way to make bring the busiest time of day forward.
Make the most of delivery
Are you maximising the opportunities in takeaway and delivery? The 10pm curfew for venues doesn't apply for services relating to food delivery or drive-thru, so you can still catch those hungry late-night customers if you can offer a meal direct to their door or car window.
Early birds get the worm
Do you offer an early bird menu to tempt the after-work crowd? With a 10 o'clock close that 9pm table might be harder to fill than ever, so try and get your punters in between 5pm and 7pm by offering a reduced price menu during those times.
Booking systems
Reduced capacities and opening times mean that filling your quota of bookings has never been more important. Is it easy to book a table online at your venue? Consider investing in an online booking system to ensure you're getting as many reservations as possible.
